pic of the day is no longer official, right? it's on sakurai's personal page?
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Sakurai's recent Pic of the Day for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has anti-Black implications relating to use of water cannons on civil rights activists.
- Thread starter Chief Malik
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Is it okay for me to say fuck smash and its trash representation and FG mechanics in this thread? Intentional or not i've never seen that Diddy Kong shit and that is just vile.
welp thanks for this thread I'm literally about to start crying in tears because I'm just done with everything and I'm tired of everything going on to so many people around the world that don't deserve shit like this
Yes, but he still has a global audience & accounts for this with English text in his bio.
Sounds to me like a bad case of OP looking at this through the lens of an American. It's nonsensical to think a Japanese born in the 70s would know anything about something that happened in a different fucking continent in the decades prior to his birth. Case in point: as someone who's NOT American I never in a million years would've made the connection if it hadn't been pointed out and I still had to google it. It's just a coincidence. An unfortunate one, but a coincidence nonetheless. You guys are trying to see subtext where there is none.
Maybe Sakurai saw this animation of Rodin and through, that it looked like a funny dodge. Then he needed something, that Rodin can dodge and chooses Mario' FLOOD, so that Mario could accidently hit somebody else with water. He then choose Peach, since she is the mostly likely person, Mario didn't want to hit. I bet he has notebook full of animations, that look funny and could make a fun screenshot.
sure, but it doesn't carry the burden if being officially affiliated with Nintendo
If he wanted Shadow Mario he could have just used Shadow Mario.
Mario trying to clean Rodin's tattoos seems like a likely explanation, but he could have had Krystal and Midna as well in that case.
This is a hundred yard stretch. I doubt the man has even heard of this protest, it's not a well-known event outside the states.
On the other hand, the stuff with Diddy Kong and DK are a hilariously bad look, so I can somewhat see where it's coming from.
On the other hand, the stuff with Diddy Kong and DK are a hilariously bad look, so I can somewhat see where it's coming from.
Yea this is what makes the image so weird. It's usually extremely easy to pinpoint the reference being made with these Pics of the Day or understand the quirk that Sakurai is highlighting with the in-game models. This screenshot is so confusing in what the "gag" is supposed to be that you just can't help but question why the only black character in the game needed to be put into historically insensitive situation. Even the Sunshine explanations are unsatisfactory to me because there are much better stand-ins for Shadow Mario as others pointed out.
Alarm bells going off. I mean, why rodin?
I do remember this--too...
www.resetera.com
I could hard quit smash, I hard quit Overwatch for much less.
I do remember this--too...
Racist Stereotypes in Smash Bros. Ultimates Spirits Mode
I had made a thread about the lack of representation in Smash, but over the past weeks, I've seen some incredibly... suspect (quite frankly, just racist) things in the games spirits mode via twitter/images online that I feel warranted its own thread. It's one thing to have little to no diversity...
www.resetera.com
I could hard quit smash, I hard quit Overwatch for much less.
Well yeah I agree generally. Era loves just assigning a fate without finding the why. But I do think this thread is progressing in a more sensible manner than most, albeit that's not exactly a high bar.
Although I will say that once again for a man of Sakurai's caliber, I would expect better as far as ignorance on such a thoroughly documented horrible part of history, as ignorance is really the only excuse here. So that's really a shame if he's that fucking dumb. Forgivable, but a real shame.
But the picture is straight up problematic. Acting like it's not doesn't help anything and just makes the person look dumb. How did this problem happen is the question, and hopefully the answer is somewhat understandable.
When your audience is global you gotta be conscious of certain things. Cops hosing black people isn't exactly obscure
Why? It's an event that would definitely not be taught in Japanese schools. He's a game designer, not a politician or historian or other position where understanding the history of other countries is important to his work. If it's not a conversation that's happening in Japanese society, the only reason he'd know is because he would need to have a personal interest in US history or race history. I think it's easy to assume because an issue is thoroughly documented in your own country that the same is true elsewhere but I don't think that's really the case here
Just FYI to the "could be Shadow Mario" line of discourse, in the original language he's called nise Mario (ニセマリオ) lit. Fake Mario or Imposter Mario
I have some serious doubts that Sakurai or whoever would do some weird stretch to reference a localized name from overseas.
I have some serious doubts that Sakurai or whoever would do some weird stretch to reference a localized name from overseas.
I just don't think someone in Japan should be expected to know about a reference to American racism or should be held accountable to it. To them it's a Mario Sunshine picture. I'm just not seeing the outrage on this one. It's just very clearly not an intentional reference by the creators.
How many times?
Disagree, if they added Sephiroth they could add Barret. If they added Min Min they could add Twintelle. Also there's Marina, Splatoon 3 is coming.
This was blatant. OP tweet kinda feels like a stretch, but given the history perhaps not.
I don't know about this being a specific reference to the Birmingham Campaign but firehoses were widely used against black protesters during the Civil Rights Era. Is this a deliberate reference or not, I don't know... I opened the thread thinking, "there's no way" but it looks pretty bad. And I had forgotten about the Dee Jay thing before. It's more than one thing, this isn't an isolated tweet. Troubling.
Given Smash's major and longstanding issues with representation, I'm not particularly inclined to give Sakurai the benefit of the doubt, either.
Given Smash's major and longstanding issues with representation, I'm not particularly inclined to give Sakurai the benefit of the doubt, either.
I see it as a "hose down the black man for daring to go towards peach (while she looks away)." Which still is bad if you don't go for the brimingham angle.
I don't see how this wasn't the obvious see it as " white man hoses black man to protect white woman" angle
I don't see how this wasn't the obvious see it as " white man hoses black man to protect white woman" angle
I understand being offended, but I doubt it was Sakurai's intention. I'd say your are reading too much into it.
Best course of action here would be to apologize for hurting anyone's feelings and delete the picture.
Best course of action here would be to apologize for hurting anyone's feelings and delete the picture.
I think the intent of the pic is more so just to be a funny pic, Rodin having a funny-looking dodge etc. No ill intentions.
But I do understand how it could be seen as problematic as it could be interpreted as OP. But in this case I feel like people are seeing something that is not there. Which in a way is a shame, as the pic intended as funny, quirky has representation of people of color, but just seen... wrong, turning the whole thing upside down.
The spirit battles with Diddy/DK raise more eyebrows, sure, but for this pic of the day, I don't think there's anything there.
But I do understand how it could be seen as problematic as it could be interpreted as OP. But in this case I feel like people are seeing something that is not there. Which in a way is a shame, as the pic intended as funny, quirky has representation of people of color, but just seen... wrong, turning the whole thing upside down.
The spirit battles with Diddy/DK raise more eyebrows, sure, but for this pic of the day, I don't think there's anything there.
I want to give Sakurai the benefit of the doubt, but this is suspect as all hell. Especially after being reminded of other similar imagery with Black characters shown in this thread.
User Banned: (2 weeks) Hostility towards another member.
This is the only notification you will get, don't spend it all in one place
At least try harder next time if you're going to shitpost
I think you're underselling this point in history big time. I'm not directly comparing them, but I expect everyone with any sort of world knowledge, especially a near senior, to know about things like the Holocaust and the Yakuza. Wouldn't you?
Like yeah it's not unforgivable like I mentioned considering yes he's not in the US, but it's still really dumb for a man that I would expect more from if his answer is really just like "oh lol I just didn't know".
I don't think the intention has to be specifically what the OP outlined in order for it to be a valid concern.
I feel the same, Im not specifically familiar with that image even though I should be, but I am familiar with hoses being used that way historically in this country. I could believe that Sakurai is not familiar with that specific case; but even still its bad taste considering just the pic in itself. Like, damn, do better.
I don't why people always defend Sakurai as if he were the second coming of Christ, but I can't give him the benefit of the doubt anymore. Smash Ultimate has no playable black characters, and instead of Twintelle, he said he wanted to add Ninjara to the game. And don't forget Pyra and Mythra having jiggle physics and him making jokes about which waifu he prefers.
He just doesn't care about representation. The man seems like a dudebro Gamer™.
EDIT: Wtf I hadn't seen that Diddy Kong pic before. It just keeps getting worse and worse! There are too many "coincidences" to believe he didn't know what he was doing.
I find it very off-putting overall how Nintendo keeps going down the path of fanservice and lack of representation while everybody else is getting past it.
He just doesn't care about representation. The man seems like a dudebro Gamer™.
EDIT: Wtf I hadn't seen that Diddy Kong pic before. It just keeps getting worse and worse! There are too many "coincidences" to believe he didn't know what he was doing.
I find it very off-putting overall how Nintendo keeps going down the path of fanservice and lack of representation while everybody else is getting past it.
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I think the holocaust yes, Yakuza? I think if I went around the US asking people about Yakuza most wouldn't be aware of who they are. I think you really overestimate how much most people know about other countries histories. Hell another example is in Japan the fumi-e (forcing people to step on an image of christ to prove they aren't christians) is a relatively well known symbol of persecution, but I'd wager that aside from some manga and anime fans the vast majority of people outside of Japan have never heard of that. It's easy to assume because something is incredibly ingrained in your own culture that it must be in others, but unless you can back that up you're just assuming
So is this the third strike for Smash and racist shit? I lost count but I can guarantee people won't 'see' it. smh. Intended or not, what is it about Smash and racist shit? I don't even play it but I keep seeing shit. There is a high chance Sakurai is oblivious for sure, so I'll be less mad if he's talked to/tweet removed.
Well, from my time living in Japan I know that the Japanese are extremely naive and ignorant when it comes to pretty much anything that takes place outside of their borders. In that sense, referencing such a specific event seems like a bit of a stretch.
On the other hand, plenty of Japanese people also straight up avoided sitting next to dark-skinned people on the train/subway. Or outright refused my friends entry to nearly empty restaurants, stating that there's no more room. And then there's also the Uyoku dantai...
Not sure which group Sakurai belongs to.
On the other hand, plenty of Japanese people also straight up avoided sitting next to dark-skinned people on the train/subway. Or outright refused my friends entry to nearly empty restaurants, stating that there's no more room. And then there's also the Uyoku dantai...
Not sure which group Sakurai belongs to.
Fifth if you're just counting racist shit and not the roster.
Fourth if you're just counting specifically anti-black racist shit that isn't the roster
Sakurai doesn't care about representation because it's not an issue that occurs to Japanese people at all without western people explicitly bringing it up because most Japanese people don't really have many personal interactions with other people who aren't also Japanese. Even someone like Sakurai doesn't likely have personal acquaintances who are more than just business acquaintances who he'd be able to actually consult with on this stuff, so unless an interviewer asks about it or a mandate is sent out by the company I doubt the idea of how representation effects people even occurs to him
It's pretty telling how many people are running in here to defend this. Intentional or not, sometimes you should think before you post something on social media, especially something that could be seen as referential to one of the worst periods of time in a country's history. The fact that you have people rushing in here going, "It's a stretch! He's Japanese! How would he know about segregation and the civil rights movement!?" is pretty disgusting.
Just looking at the picture with no context I would think the intended 'joke' here is simply how both characters evade the water cannon in a funny way. I don't see why else this would be pic of the day or what motive would be behind it.
If Rodin was supposed to be Shadow Mario and the picture itself some reenactment of Sunshine, that would be pretty stupid of Sakurai. But I don't know if it is. I certainly don't think this is what OP is suggesting nor do I think Sakurai is required to know the event. Doesn't look like Rodin is supposed to be washed by Mario against his will.
The Sandman/Ape stuff was much worse/sus. But just because that happened in the past I'm not going to assume the worst which is also pretty unlikely in my eyes.
If Rodin was supposed to be Shadow Mario and the picture itself some reenactment of Sunshine, that would be pretty stupid of Sakurai. But I don't know if it is. I certainly don't think this is what OP is suggesting nor do I think Sakurai is required to know the event. Doesn't look like Rodin is supposed to be washed by Mario against his will.
The Sandman/Ape stuff was much worse/sus. But just because that happened in the past I'm not going to assume the worst which is also pretty unlikely in my eyes.
I mean if the imagery association doesn't exist in the same way in Japan then thinking about what he posts is irrelevant. It literally doesn't matter how engrained the image is in western culture if It isn't in Japan.
you think I'm shitposting really? you think I'm joking when I say I'm about to cry? I have not had a very pleasant week so yeah I was being serious but hey if you see me as a troll I guess I can't help you in that sense
I was just saying how I felt I know ultimately no one cares about me/my health and that's ok. Apologies for the derail I just have not been feeling well in the slightest and I'm being serious about that.
I think people might be looking too deep into a random picture. It might just be a moment from a random match that he thought looked cool. I don't know if Sakurai's a racist or not, but I don't think he'd deliberately put a dog whistle on his personal Twitter.
This is why internet is way too dangerous now a days. You cant post anything online without overanalizying its implications first.
Seems pretty transparent to me. You've got a cast of 80+ playable characters, none of whom are black (no, Inkling and Villager alts don't count) and don't use any of them, instead using a non-playable assist trophy, the only one who is black, as the character to be hosed. I don't know how that couldn't be construed as a reference.
Right? Like, imagine saying "yeah, this is some ULTRA RACIST PROUD BOY SHIT but I think Sakurai just needs to learn from this. He's misinformed on some things."
Like, if intentional, this is right up there with Neo-Nazis lol. And I feel like people are trying to reel in their own stretches because they realize how ridiculous it is.
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